


Juban Drabbles

by Vena



Category: A3! (Video Game)
Genre: Drabble Collection, Fluff, Kissing, M/M, Music, Pining, Suggestive Themes, Swearing, Tending Wounds, Winter, most of the chapters don't have nsfw in them and the ones with hints of it will be marked!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:15:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24712945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vena/pseuds/Vena
Summary: A collection of Juban drabbles based off of a list of 50 single word writing prompts.
Relationships: Hyoudou Juuza/Settsu Banri
Comments: 26
Kudos: 169





	1. Music

**Author's Note:**

> there's not enough juban out there :( these drabbles are just things i work on when i'm getting a bit of writer's block on the other fics i'm working on so updates will be inconsistent. they're fun to write though! i found a fun 50 day writing challenge on google! the title of each chapter will be the prompt that corresponds to the number! I'll also try to update the tags as neccessary too! no beta for drabbles so the quality will vary ;v;

"You're holding that phrase too long. The new slur means you gotta make a little space there, y'know," Banri noted, jabbing a finger at Juza's score. Juza lightly knocked him away with a scowl.

"I'm not blind, Settsu, I know how to read music! If I cut the phrase too short it's gonna sound like shit though."

"Okay, but it sounds sloppy without the pause, too! And there're other spots where you do the same thing!" Banri was about to point them out, but he could see Juza had already circled them and scribbled notes on his score. At least he was diligent.

"I know that! You don't gotta keep tellin' me," Juza grumbled, looking down at the trumpet in his hands. "We've still got a month before the performance. 'M gonna have it sorted out by then so stop nitpicking already."

Banri huffed, sitting back down in his own chair. "I'm not nitpickin'. Your solo's the movement after mine, and I'm not gonna let you make me look bad if you can't get your shit together!"

Banri knew that Juza would, though; this was hardly their first practice session like this, and it wouldn't be their last. Though his technicality wasn't always perfect, Juza was able to put a feeling into his playing that Banri, try as he might, couldn't hope to replicate. He hated more than anything to admit it, but he enjoyed listening to him when he got the chance.

"Whatever. If you're not gonna shut up, go practice somewhere else. I've got work to do," Juza grumbled, straightening his posture as he went back to the beginning of the movement.

Banri rolled his eyes but stayed put, leaning back in his chair and crossing his legs as Juza began to play. Banri closed his eyes, allowing the rich, full tones of the trumpet to wash over him. The phrasing still wasn't perfect, but he could feel the power behind each note. Though the loudest part of this song wasn't too loud, as the dynamics shifted a warmth bloomed in his chest that made it hard to breathe.

Banri was lost in the flow until, he realized, the song had ended and the final note resonated through the room before fading away. It was quiet after that save for the sound of a pencil scratching on paper, yet the warmth in Banri's chest hadn't dissipated. It radiated outward, to the tips of his fingers. The sound of the pencil ceased after a few more moments and Banri found himself relaxed in the comfortable silence that followed.

"Settsu?" Juza called after a while, and Banri kept quiet. Maybe Juza would think he was asleep. Banri heard the other shift but still refused to open his eyes.

"Tch. My playing's so boring you passed out, huh? Asshole." Juza's tone was surprisingly soft, and it made Banri's stomach do a little flip. Gross. He was probably just being quiet because he didn't want to wake him up. It didn't mean anything. He heard Juza shifting and almost gave himself away when he felt a hand hesitantly brush a few strands of hair out of his face.

He expected the other boy to pull away after that but he didn’t; instead he gently combed his hand through Banri’s hair and he feared his heart was going to leap right out of his throat it was beating so hard. He couldn’t help but wonder what kind of expression Juza was looking at him with right now.

Banri almost felt himself falling asleep for real the longer Juza kept it up; the rhythmic brushing was surprisingly relaxing. He couldn’t afford to do that, lest he miss some other secret Juza was trying to hide from him, so with a heavy heart he cracked an eye open.

Juza’s eyes widened and he quickly flinched back as Banri sat up, looking like he’d been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. “Settsu! Uh…” Banri smirked as Juza’s face got redder and redder as the other boy struggled to come up with an excuse for his actions. Fuck, that was cute. Plus, it was nice to catch him off guard for a change.

“I never said ya had to stop,” Banri hummed, leaning across the way to grab the front of Juza’s shirt and pull him a little closer. The delinquent froze up, his shock turning into confusion.

“Settsu…?”

“Your playing was kinda terrible, though.” That snapped Juza out of his dazed state, his gaze narrowing.

“Oh yeah?” he growled, fisting a hand in Banri’s shirt and tugging him close enough their foreheads butted together. It hurt, but Banri was undeterred. Now that Juza had done most of the work for him, Banri closed the rest of the distance between them and pressed a firm kiss to his lips. The other froze up and Banri’s smirk widened as he pulled back to admire his handiwork.

“Okay, maybe it wasn’t too bad. That kiss was, though.” He still wasn’t ready to admit how Juza’s playing actually affected him; this kind of banter was familiar and safe despite the way he could see their relationship evolving before his eyes.

“We’ll see about that.” Banri might have been more intimidated if the other boy didn’t look like a human tomato. Much to his own shock though Juza pulled him in for another kiss, much better than the first. Not that he’d admit that. He was more worried Juza could feel just how fast his heart was beating through his shirt.

“Still pretty shitty,” he laughed, a little breathless, “but that’s nothing a little practice can't fix.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for the first chapter i did have a particular song in mind: https://youtu.be/rO2L9Q06CTE
> 
> Banri plays the trumpet solo in movement I and juza plays the solo from movement II!


	2. Snow

"It's fuckin' freezing," Banri grumbled, stuffing his frozen hands into his pockets and doing his best to disappear into his coat as much as possible.

"'S not my fault you didn't dress right so stop complainin'," Juza shot back, sufficiently toasty as he tucked into his scarf. Banri shot him a glare, a bit jealous of the hat and gloves the other was wearing.

They were just going to the convenience store to pick up some snacks for the weekend, and Banri had severely underestimated the weather once they'd left. The snow fell in large flakes, and by now Banri's hair was drenched, making his mood even worse.

"The store's not that far away so I didn't think I'd need it!" It was a shallow defense as an icy cold wind whipped around them, Banri swearing again as he braced himself against it.

"That's because you're stupid." Banri was certain Juza was smiling behind his scarf, and if he wouldn't have had to freeze his hands even more he'd have grabbed a fistful of snow and dumped it down the back of Juza's neck. It'd serve him right.

"Shut up! You're just too slow! I'd have been at the store by now if you hadn't been dragging your damn feet," he accused, watching the other roll his eyes.

"You're so annoying," Juza grumbled, Banri looking on in confusion as Juza stopped in his tracks, carefully unwinding his scarf.

"Didn't I just say to hurry your ass up?" Banri hissed, stepping closer. Juza leveled him with a hard stare and all Banri could do was openly gape as Juza wound his scarf around Banri's neck. It was still warm, and Banri hoped that Juza thought the ruddiness of his cheeks were from the cold.

"I'll take it back if you're gonna keep whining," Juza warned, but the scarf couldn't hide his small smile anymore. Banri stared for a moment before scoffing, ducking his face further into the warmth of the scarf.

"I won't say anything else if you hurry your ass up," he called over his shoulder, moving faster when he heard the crunching of snow just behind him.

"That's it, gimme the scarf back." Banri dodged to the side and took off running, laughing as he heard Juza calling after him. He laughed even harder as he felt a snowball hit his back, and then another.

He barely felt the chill anymore.


	3. Red

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Howdy everyone! I've been intermittently writing like 3-4 fics simultaneously, and of course the first thing I finish is something I meant to be working on between completed fics lol. Here's this instead! I'll hopefully be done with some of these other projects/chapters pretty soon too!

Banri was relaxing in the living room after getting home from school, focused on the game he'd been trying and failing to complete the most recent levels on for the last hour or so. He wasn't this bad, usually. He was just distracted. Maybe relaxing wasn't the right word.

Juza was usually back at the dorms by now, stuffing himself full of whatever cake or pastry he'd come home that afternoon. Not that he should care, really, but it was weird for Juza to be out late without at least telling Muku where he'd gone. Muku had asked Banri, Tenma, and Taichi if they'd heard from him, to which he hadn't. After that, he'd moved from his room to the living room. Not because he was concerned or waiting to see him back or anything; far from it. The couch in the living room was just more comfortable.

After another hour and still no sign of Juza Banri was just about ready to take a walk to clear his head (hopefully then he could focus on his game) when he thought he could hear a door quietly open and close in the foyer.

"About damn time," Banri muttered under his breath, ready to call the boy out, but as Juza entered the living room his breath caught in his throat.

Juza met his gaze for a fraction of a second before quickly breaking it, though Banri was more concerned by the way Juza's hand had been resting on his cheek; like he was hiding something. Not only that, Banri thought he caught a glimpse of something red as Juza breezed past him and out of sight, and when he realized what he might have seen he was on his feet and moving to follow Juza down the hall before he'd even realized it.

"Hyodo," he called out, but the other was silent as he made a turn into the bathroom. Banri ground his teeth in frustration; how dare he be ignored?

“Muku was worried about you, y’know-” he cut off as he rounded the corner a few moments later, getting a look at what Juza had been trying to hide. A large, purple bruise marred the cheek his hand had been covering, and dried blood crusted all over his nose down to his chin. Though the blood was no longer crimson Banri could swear he saw red. The water splashing in the sink was almost deafening. “What the fuck happened?”

“‘S none of your business,” Juza mumbled, cupping his hands under the faucet and bringing them up to wash his face. He was probably trying to be subtle but Banri didn’t miss Juza’s small flinch as his palm bumped against his nose. Banri grabbed his wrists, tugging them away from his face.

“That’s not how you clean this shit up, idiot,” Banri hissed, shoving Juza’s hands down to his sides before letting go. “Go sit down. I’ll do it.” Juza’s eyes whipped up to Banri’s face in surprise.

“I can do it my-” Banri waved him off, turning already to grab a washcloth. “...Fine.”

When Banri came back, Juza was sitting on the toilet, staring down at the tile with an unreadable look on his face. Banri wet the cloth before approaching him, nudging his leg to get him to look up. “Don’t move.”

Juza opened his mouth to protest but snapped it shut as Banri grabbed his chin to angle his head and hold him in place. He brought the cloth up to gently dab at the dried blood, examining the extent of the damage. His nose was a little swollen; it didn’t look broken, thankfully, but it looked like it hurt. The bruise stood out even more at this angle, ugly and misshapen under the buzzing lights.

“The guys who did this to you better have gotten it worse,” he muttered, not liking the way Juza wouldn’t meet his gaze.

“‘Course not. They’re fine.”

Banri’s hand tightened around the cloth, trying hard to keep his movements gentle despite how much he wanted to shake Juza around at that.

“You didn’t defend yourself? Are you stupid?” This time Juza did meet his gaze and the intensity in his golden eyes almost made Banri flinch.

“‘M not about to go causing trouble for Mankai, Settsu.” Banri sighed in frustration. Of course. How noble. Not that he should have thought any different, really, considering how willing Juza’d been to be tossed around when they were handing out fliers for Picaresque for the sake of the troupe.

“And what would you have done if they didn’t stop, huh?”

“Does it matter? They did, so it’s fine. Don’t see why you’d care, anyway. Almost thought you’d be happy about it.” That was the last straw for Banri. He threw the washcloth into the sink with a loud, wet slap and fisted both hands in Juza’s collar.

“Why would I be happy, moron!?” He’d said that louder than he intended, and Juza was looking at him as if he’d been slapped. He hated seeing that look on his face. He had to deflect; Why _did_ he care, anyway? “If anyone’s gonna beat you, it’s gonna be me! You shouldn’t be goin’ around losing to anybody else!”

An awkward silence fell between them as Banri realized how close he’d tugged Juza, and he dropped him back down with a huff. “...Whatever. You’re cleaned up now; you better go talk to Muku before he goes out to look for you.” He made his way over to the sink to wring out the cloth, an indescribable feeling boiling up in his veins as he watched the muddied water swirl around the drain. He kept his eyes glued to the sink, not looking as he heard Juza get up with a grunt and start shuffling to the door.

“Settsu.” Juza had paused with his hand on the knob, staring straight ahead.

“What now?”

“...Thanks.” And before Banri had a chance to respond, he’d left the bathroom and quietly closed the door behind him.

“Nothin’ to thank me for,” Banri muttered to himself, wringing out the washcloth once again to try and focus on anything but the way his heart had skipped a beat.


	4. Alarm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> howdy! this chapter is doubling up as writing for juban week day 2: lazy mornings/late nights! banri made an attempt for it to be a lazy morning at any rate lol. this chapter takes place sometime in act 2 when they'er in college and is a little bit nsfw-ish just as a heads up!

Banri groaned in displeasure as the obnoxious blaring of his alarm roused him from his slumber. He blindly groped around the sheets next to him until his hand brushed against his phone, tapping the snooze button on reflex and settling back into the warm, comfortable weight of Juza's arms looped around his waist.

"Should be gettin' up," a voice muttered behind him, cracked with sleep. Despite saying this, Banri feels the arms around him tighten and pull him closer.

"Ten more minutes won't kill me," Banri huffed, leaning back against Juza’s chest and making himself comfortable. He smirked a little and hummed softly when he felt a press of lips against his back, slowly trailing towards his shoulder before stopping at the crook of his neck. 

“You gonna actually get up when it goes off?” Juza questioned, his warm breath ghosting over Banri’s skin. Banri shivered and shrugged his shoulder. 

“Maybe. Probably not if you keep doin’ what you’re doin’ though,” Banri murmured, uttering a sound of protest as he felt Juza pull his head away. “What the hell!?”

“‘M not gonna be the reason you’re late for class again,” Juza said, and of  _ course  _ that was it. 

“I didn’t ask you to look out for me,” Banri grumbled, rolling over until he was face to face with Juza. He must not have been expecting that because he looked surprised, and Banri took advantage of it by rolling them over further until he was on top of Juza and pinning his arms down. It was a loose grasp and Juza could break free pretty easily if he wanted to but he didn’t budge.

“I mean it, Settsu,” Juza insisted, his gaze hard against Banri’s mischievous smile.

“We’ll see,” Banri grumbled, ducking down to capture Juza’s lips with his own. Juza didn’t budge against him, but it didn’t take much coaxing from Banri before Juza was kissing him back with a huff. Victory was sweet; though it didn’t taste sweet, as Juza’s morning breath was strong on his tongue. Juza must have agreed, because Banri felt his nose wrinkle. He didn’t pull away though, and Banri quickly got used to it as well. 

Juza’s chapped lips clung to Banri’s, the light drag between kisses quickly waking him up far more than he’d been when his alarm had gone off. He slowly released Juza’s wrists, and Juza moved to tangle one in his hair and the other to wrap loosely around his waist. Banri groaned softly into Juza’s mouth, and the slow, lazy kisses quickly began to grow a bit more heated. 

Juza’s hand in his hair tightened a little and Banri huffed a quiet moan between them, and it wasn’t long before Banri could feel himself getting a little worked up. He lowered himself until their chests were touching, Juza sighing into his mouth at the skin on skin contact. This wasn’t exactly what he’d had on his mind when he’d woken up, but Banri was more than happy to see where this was going to go. With a smirk against Juza’s lips he ground down against him, and both of their breathing hitched as they broke apart with a resounding smack of their lips.

“Settsu…” Juza warned, his tone implying he was about to give Banri a lecture. 

“Shut up.” Banri quieted him with a rough kiss, and though Juza had started trying to tug him back he could feel a loud sigh pass through his nose as he used the arm around Banri’s waist to hold him closer. It was just a morning of victories as Banri ground down against him again, nipping Juza’s lip as his boyfriend pressed back against him with just as much enthusiasm. 

Banri licked his way into Juza’s mouth, grateful for the plain, heady taste of him Juza had only before he’d had his morning sweets. Just as Banri was really about to go down on him the loud blaring of his alarm tore through the room again and they both froze. Banri was perfectly content on letting it ring itself out, but Juza had other plans. He shoved against Banri, who did his best to remain a dead weight on top of him, but regrettably he still wasn’t strong enough to keep Juza from rolling them over. 

“We’re done,” Juza said, and Banri pouted at the note of finality in his voice. 

“We were just gettin’ to the good part,” he whined, but Juza shook his head as he leaned up and off of Banri, sitting down by his feet.

“The good part is you gettin’ to class.” Banri hated how stubborn Juza could be sometimes.

“Why’d you even start kissin’ back if you were gonna stop anyway,” Banri muttered, reaching for his phone to turn the blasted alarm off as he regrettably sat up and stretched his back.

“Sure seemed to do a good job of wakin’ you up.” Well. That was a good point. “Maybe a little  _ too  _ good a job.” He gave a pointed look at Banri’s crotch, Banri quickly grabbing one of their pillows to launch at his head.

“Shut up!!” he cried, quickly hefting himself up and down the ladder to the loft bed in record time. “You shouldn’t have kept going if you weren’t gonna finish, asshole!” 

“‘S not like we have any plans after rehearsal tonight,” Juza called after Banri as he’d grabbed his clothes and left the room as quickly as possible. Hmph. Like he’d want to do anything tonight after that kind of teasing. 

...Well, at least Banri had something to look forward to _after_ class. 


	5. Dying

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> don't mind the play names i basically drew them out of a hat,, i hope they haven't been used in any of the plays yet LOL this was me cheating a way out of having either of them actually die haha

“L-Looks like this is it, huh?” Banri pressed his hand against his side, words hissed painfully through gritted teeth. His gaze drifted to meet Juza’s, alarm etched into every line of his expression as he grabbed Banri from where he lay on the ground, pulling him into his lap to cradle him in his arms.

“Don’t talk like that! You’re not going anywhere, got it?” Juza’s voice was filled with concern, but it was missing a real sense of desperation. “We’re gonna patch you up, and then we’ll pay Craven back tenfold!”

Banri gave a weak chuckle, wincing and coughing as he doubled over and clutched his side even harder. Juza held him tighter, pulling him even closer, and Banri did his best to focus on his role and not on the hands that secured him. He slowly pulled his hand away from his side, looking down at it with a wistful look on his face. During the actual show, it would be covered with fake blood.

“Don’t...go after him,” Banri wheezed, fisting his less-than-bloody hand in Juza’s shirt. Their eyes met, and Banri gave him the most pleading look he could. “If he kills you too, I-”

“ _ Shut up!  _ You’re not going to die!” Juza cried out, eyes desperately searching Banri’s face, as if searching for a sign that he would be okay.  _ Not bad.  _

“Just let it go, idiot.” Banri gave him a weak smile, moving his hand from Juza’s collar to gently cup his cheek. Juza’s brow furrowed deeply, his grip on Banri tightening. He wasn’t sure if that second part had been intentional or not. “Just go home. I-It’s not worth it anymore.” He coughed again for good measure.

Banri could make out the hint of anguish in Juza’s expression, but he doubted anyone not in the first row would be able to see the shift. 

“To what home?” Juza laughed disbelievingly. “He slaughtered everyone in the village! There’s no one to go home to!”

“We should never have come here,” Banri groaned, exhaling harshly as he ‘felt’ the pain from his wound. “The only reason I tagged along w-was to keep you from doing something stupid. Couldn’t even do that right, huh?”

“We were going to get revenge,” Juza insisted, voice straining with an emotion Banri so rarely heard from him. “How could we just go back to our lives knowing that monster was still alive, after everything he did? We agreed to take him out together, to put everyone’s souls to rest!” His voice dropped down to a desperate stage whisper. “Were you lying to me?”

“Y-You wouldn’t listen to me. I had no choice but to come with,” Banri hissed, hand dropping from Juza’s face to clutch at his side again as Juza put a hand over it as well, increasing the pressure. Banri had to really focus on his lines and not the warmth of Juza’s palm as it covered his own. “I couldn’t…” Another labored breath. “Let you go off and die like that.”

“Then why did you get in my way!?” Juza’s voice cracked and Banri couldn’t help but be impressed. He couldn’t tell which of them were getting too caught up in the scene anymore. “That dagger was meant for me, not you!” 

“M-My body just moved on its own,” Banri chuckled, feeling a little light-headed at their close proximity. “If you died...what would be left for me? You’re all I have left, Rolan. I...I don’t think I could have made it if something happened to you.”

“And what about  _ me? _ ” Juza all but yelled. The unfiltered emotion struck a chord in Banri’s chest. It was so rare to hear this from him, even on stage. Juza hadn’t done too much that warranted this level of emotion. “What the hell do you think I’m supposed to do without you? You’re all I have too, you bastard! So you better not die, you hear me!?”

This would be even more convincing if they could get Juza to cry here. As it was, he wasn’t the sort of actor who could cry on command. Too bad Banri hadn’t been in his role; he could cry whenever he wanted. Plus, he would have been the one to hold Juza in his arms. Wait-

“S-Sorry,” Banri coughed again, heat coursing through him as Juza grabbed his hand and held it tight. He should have just worn a t-shirt to rehearsal, because his jacket was so warm he was starting to sweat. “Guess I was...selfish, huh?” He smiled, giving Juza’s hand a squeeze. There was a small shift in his expression there, and Banri wasn’t quite sure what it meant. This scene was going to be tough.

“Keep being selfish,” Juza pleaded, holding Banri’s hand against his own chest, “You can be as selfish as you want! It was my own selfishness that did this to you. If I’d have just stopped for a moment and  _ listened  _ to you, this never would have happened!” A pause as he sucked in a ragged breath. His acting really was so different than it used to be. Then again, it was also the result of how often they'd been working on this particular scene together. “So please. You can’t be selfish if you’re gone.

“C-Can you promise me something?” It was almost time. Banri slowly moved their clasped hands up, to cradle Juza’s cheek again. Maybe this was too intimate for the characters; Juza’s hand was still over his, keeping it pressed against his face, looking at him with an expression that struck Banri to the core as he nodded. “Don’t die.” He took another pained breath, closing his eyes so he didn’t have to look at Juza anymore. “No matter what happens...you need to live. Don’t go after Craven anymore, okay?”

“You know I can’t promise that, Leo,” Juza’s voice cracked again, along with something inside Banri. “Especially not now.” A pause as Juza gave his body a light shake. He slowly opened his eyes again, unable to meet Juza’s. “M-Maybe I can! I won’t go after him anymore, so we’ll go home together, okay? Just you and me, the way it’s always been!” Even as Juza’s hand tightened around his, Banri let his own go a little slack. Man, it sure did take Banri's character a long time to die. Hopefully this whole scene wouldn't be too melodramatic; he'd gotten a few pointers from Tsumugi for this scene since it wasn't often the Autumn Troupe plays were like this. Banri was still a little disappointed he didn't get to participate in the final action scene, though, with his character being dead by then and all.

“I’d...like that.” With one final smile, Banri let his hand fall completely limp in Juza's grasp, eyes closing for the final time. 

"Leo…?" Juza was quiet, giving Banri a few shakes that were more forceful than necessary. Jerk. He made a sound of anguish(?) before burying his face in Banri’s chest. They would really have to work on whatever that noise Juza made was, though it was hard to focus on that when the warmth from the other was seeping into his chest. He better not be able to hear how fast his heart was beating or Banri might have to clock him so hard he forgot. He was doing his damndest to not let the dense idiot figure out he might have a little bit of a crush on him, but Tsuzuru really had it out for him with this scene.

In fact, his roommate might have it out for him too. This was where they’d planned to stop the scene before going over what could be fixed, but Juza hadn’t budged from where he was tucked against Banri. He wanted to say something, knock him out of whatever was keeping him there, but the truth of it was that Banri liked being here in his arms. Being held like he was something precious that he refused to let go. 

Of course, he just had to remind himself that it wasn’t really Juza doing this; it was Juza’s perception of Rolan’s emotions. That was all he needed to drag himself out of his own stupor. 

“Oi. Pretty sure they would’ve drawn the curtain on us ages ago, stupid. You realize this part can’t drag on this long on stage, yeah?” Juza must have been snapped out of whatever had held him there because he finally moved, sitting up straight and looking down at Banri for a moment before unceremoniously dumping him to the floor. Banri cursed as he sat up, not sure why he expected any different. The scene was done; no need for his rival to be gentle with him anymore. This was familiar territory. This was safer.

“Sorry.” Juza didn’t sound particularly sorry, though. 

“Whatever. So? What’d ya think? I’ll let you go first, since I probably have a lot more to say about some of the shit you did.” Banri smirked as Juza threw a glare his way.

“Shut up, Settsu,” Juza huffed, crossing his arms as he closed his eyes in thought. “I guess you’re not bad at dyin’.”

“That supposed to be a compliment?” Banri wasn’t really sure. Dying wasn’t exactly something he wanted to be good at. It was fake, at least, so it was probably a compliment to his acting.

“I think you might've laid it on kinda thick, t’ be honest.” 

“Haah?  _ Me?  _ You’re the one shouting too much, ya daikon!” Banri grumbled, fisting his hand into Juza’s shirt and pulling him close, matching the other’s glare. “And what was that weird-ass noise you made after I died? Kinda sounded like a cat gettin’ run over!”

Juza grit his teeth, brow furrowing deeply as he grabbed Banri’s collar as well. Banri’s heart skipped a beat as Juza’s face got even closer, and he tried really hard not to focus on the way Juza’s breath warmed his cheeks. 

“You didn’t let me finish,” Juza hissed. Banri tilted his chin back as an invitation to continue. “I didn’t say that that was a  _ bad  _ thing, asshole. Helped me get into the scene more.” Oh. “‘S not like it’s easy to picture you dyin’. So you doin’ all that made it easier is all I was gonna say.”

“‘Course it’s not easy to picture that; not like I’m goin’ anywhere anytime soon,” Banri agreed, unable to meet Juza’s gaze for fear of what he may find there. The guy’s face was way too earnest for Banri’s heart to take sometimes. “Well...not like the yelling was all bad either. Rolan’d get emotional that the one person he had left in his life was dyin’ in his arms. He was desperate; guess it’s better to shout than to downplay it by bein’ too quiet about it.” He chanced a glance at Juza after that, and he could feel his face heating up with the way the other boy’s mouth hung open in shock. “What’re you gapin’ at me for, ya bastard!? Got something to say?” 

“Jus’...can’t think of the last time ya didn’t throw an insult in when sayin’ something good about my practice.” Fuck. He was right. Banri was more caught up in the moment than he’d thought if he’d forgotten to keep up their usual banter. 

“Well don’t get used to it! I still have no idea what the fuck that sound you made was when I died, so either work on that, or don’t do it at all!” Juza had a small smile on his face now though, and Banri quickly let go of his shirt to try and pull back. He didn’t make it far though, because Juza’s hand was still holding him close. “Let go, Hyodo, you’re gonna stretch out my shirt!”

“You feelin’ okay, Settsu? Yer bein’ kinda weird, and yer face is all red. Sure you’re not comin’ down with something?” Juza took his free hand and set it on Banri’s forehead and that was the last straw. 

“So I can’t say somethin’ nice without being sick, huh? I’m fine, you dick. It’s just hot as balls in here so let me go and I can take my jacket off!” Thankfully his roommate acquiesced, and he let go as Banri stumbled back. He shucked off his jacket in record time, balling it up in his lap as he grit his teeth. Now there was an awkward tension in the air between them, and Banri hated it. 

“Maybe we should call it a night then,” Juza mumbled, getting to his feet with a stretch. Banri tried (and failed) not to stare at the small patch of skin that revealed itself at the action, Juza’s shirt riding up with him.

“Not like there’s much else we can do for now,” Banri agreed, getting to his own feet and slinging his jacket over his shoulder. His body still burned at all of the points Juza had touched when he’d held him in his arms. His hand missed the feel of Juza’s palm. This sucked.

“Sure you’re doin’ okay? You’re pretty out of it,” Juza commented, once again stepping far too close to Banri. He refused to back down though, and didn’t step back despite his legs screaming at him to do so.

“I said I’m fine, dammit! You’ve got better things to worry about! Don’t you have a test tomorrow?” 

“...Yeah.” Juza’s frown deepened at the reminder, stepping out of Banri’s space again. He let out a small sigh of relief, grateful that Juza didn’t seem to notice it. 

“Itaru wanted my help with a dungeon after this, so I’ll be back late,” Banri lied. He didn’t have any plans with Itaru; he just didn’t want to go back to their room until he calmed the hell down. Hopefully by then, his roommate would be asleep and he wouldn’t have to look at his stupid face again that evening. 

“See ya at morning practice, then,” Juza waved, and Banri watched as he turned his back and left the practice room. Once he was sure Juza was out of earshot he ripped off his headband and ran his hands through his hair in frustration. 

He’d almost slipped up there. It was probably only a matter of time until he did; this scene made his blood run red hot every time they practiced it; especially on their own. And there was no way Tsuzuru would write in any changes just because Banri had caught feelings like a loser. He’d just have to suck it up and figure out a way to make it work. He couldn’t want to kiss Juza  _ every  _ time he held him, right?


	6. Fan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i had two ideas for this prompt and started on this one (though i will still probably write the other one later) and it got away from me a little bit LOL 
> 
> nsfwish; nothing actually explicit happens but there is definitely a relatively suggestive section involving popsicles haha. enjoy!

“Stop hoggin’ it,'' Banri whined, reaching to twist the fan in his direction. He breathed out a sigh of relief as a wave of cool air rolled over him. It was the hottest day of the year, and Banri’s clothes were drenched in sweat. Not even tying his hair up seemed to be doing much to help.

“Maybe you should stop talkin’, then. You’re just lettin’ out more hot air,'' Juza grumbled, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his arm. Banri had closed his eyes as he began to cool down, but they snapped open in a glare as the relief stopped. Juza had turned the fan back toward himself. 

“Fuck off, Hyodo. I was here first,” Banri hissed back. “If you won’t share your popsicles, I’m not gonna share the fan. Now go find somewhere else to cool off.” 

Juza returned his sharp gaze, frown deepening as he bit off the top half of his popsicle. Banri kept his eyes on Juza’s, and as far away from whatever his mouth was doing as possible. 

“It’ll kill ya to share?”

“Yeah, it will! And right back at you, bastard!”

Juza’s brow furrowed in thought for a moment before he grunted, pulling himself to his feet. Banri pulled the fan back in his direction, watching as Juza left the room. Sure, he’d told him to buzz off, but his roommate usually put up more of a fight than that. Banri grabbed the bottom of his shirt, tugging it up to try and wipe some of the sweat from his face. It was already wet so it didn’t help much, but there was at least a mild improvement. Not having to worry about seeing Juza sucking on that stupid thing anymore was a relief too. This was  _ not  _ the time for-

Banri was startled as the door opened again, Juza having reappeared with two fresh popsicles. 

“Here.” Juza plopped down next to Banri again, snapping the two in half and holding one out to Banri. Thankfully they broke apart fairly evenly, and Banri took his without another word. Once he’d taken it, Juza turned the fan back toward himself again despite Banri groaning in annoyance.

“Really, Hyodo?”

“You’re the one who said to share,” Juza reminded him, and damn if he wasn’t right. Banri had just thought the other would refuse to share and that would be the end of it. 

“Whatever. You should’ve just stayed out, bastard,” Banri grumbled, licking a stripe up both sides of the popsicle before sucking it into his mouth. It was nice and cool, and really hit the spot. He was surprised that Juza hadn’t had any snappy comeback to his comment, telling him to be grateful or something, and when he glanced at him from the corner of his eye he caught Juza staring right at his mouth. 

Oh. Now this  _ was  _ interesting. 

Banri pretended like he hadn’t seen, making as much of a show as possible of sucking along the length of the popsicle. In, out just to the tip, and back in. Sometimes he opened his mouth just enough for the other boy to see him laving the underside with his tongue. He groaned softly, an appreciation for the taste, and the temperature ratcheted up a couple of degrees when he was certain he heard a quiet, stifled moan from next to him. If Banri’s mouth hadn’t been full, he’d be smirking. 

Banri continued with this game, lavishing his popsicle until the heat became too much to deal with. With a dull pop he pulled what remained of the frozen treat from his mouth, casting a glance to Juza again. He was still staring, and it looked like he hadn’t even touched his own popsicle with the way it was starting to melt onto his hand. 

“Oi. If you get that shit on the floor Sakyo’s gonna kill ya,” Banri pointed out, laughing as Juza finally seemed to snap out of whatever trance he’d been in with alarm. 

“Shit,” he hissed, and Banri took this moment to angle the fan back toward himself. The cool wave felt even better after getting Juza so worked up. That was when Banri made the mistake of looking back at Juza again. 

He was frantically trying to lick up as much of the juice dripping down his fingers and wrist as he could, and Banri couldn’t tear his eyes away. It was a little pathetic, because Juza wasn’t even trying to be sensual about it, but something about the quick, desperate trails of his tongue was making the heat absolutely unbearable. 

Once he’d managed to clean up the worst of it Juza stuck the entire popsicle in his mouth and Banri was glad he hadn’t gone back to eating his or he probably would have choked. Of  _ course  _ he probably didn’t have a gag reflex. Stuffing his face all the time had probably dulled it; or maybe he’d just always been like that. It was dangerous territory for Banri’s thoughts to head in as Juza slowly pulled the stick back out of his mouth, completely clean. They locked eyes for a heated moment before Juza’s gaze shifted.

“Better follow yer own advice,” Juza noted, and Banri managed to remember he still had half of his own popsicle left. 

Well, he’d _ had _ that much. Now it was starting to melt down his own hand as well. 

“Why’re these things so fuckin’ messy,” Banri grit out, forgoing his previously sensual methods to avoid dripping anything on the carpet below. As he did that, the fan once again turned away from him. “Would you stop that, you asshole!? You’ve been hoggin’ it since you got back!”

“I shared just like you asked, so you’ve gotta share too.” 

“Yeah, ‘sharing’. Do ya not know what that word means? You gotta give it up some of the time,” Banri growled, finishing up his popsicle in three rough bites. The chill in his teeth sucked, but at least he didn’t have to worry about it anymore. Once he’d licked the stick clean, he pelted it at Juza’s head. 

“Fuck’s sake,” Juza grumbled, chucking his at Banri in retaliation. He managed to dodge it, smirking in triumph, basking in the way his roommate glowered at him. 

“If you’re not gonna share then scoot your ass over,” Banri continued, crawling his way over to Juza. This probably wasn’t the best idea, given what had just occurred, but it was the only solution to the fan problem Banri could think of. 

He got right up in Juza’s space, leaning against him as he angled the fan between them so that the burst of air was hitting both of them at least somewhat evenly.

“Back off. You bein’ this close makes the fan useless,'' Juza grumbled, but he didn’t make a move to get away from him. Probably just because the fan was right there. 

“Like I said; we either share, or fucking find somewhere else to cool down,” Banri snapped back, making himself more comfortable against Juza’s side.

"Shut up," Juza mumbled, and Banri felt him slowly loosen up the longer they sat together. He kept his eyes straight ahead and as far away from their laps as possible. He grabbed his phone to check the time, and groaned miserably when he noticed it was only two o’clock in the afternoon. 

This was going to be a long, long day.


	7. Hands

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i was gonna get super sappy on this prompt but i didn't want another 3k fic instead of a drabble so i held back a lot 😂 word 7 was actually seek but that got too long so it's a separate fic now! this is also my first time writing juza pov 🔥

Juza's hands had always been rough. Cracked. Dangerous.

Sometimes, after a particularly rough fight, the dry skin on his knuckles would split open and Kumon would try not to cry as he watched Juza try and bandage himself up before their mother got home so he wouldn't worry her. 

Despite the roughness, it was a relief to know they could be gentle, too. How he could delicately tear open a pack of cookies so they didn't crumble with the force of it. How he could toss a ball to Kumon, and not throw it too hard. How he could hold onto Kumon’s and their mom’s hands and not hurt them. 

Once he’d joined Mankai, things had changed little by little. He didn’t split his hands open anymore, unless it was a bit too dry in the winter. The only fighting he did was on stage, which left his hands in fairly decent condition aside from how dry they still got.

Dry skin constantly flaked off of his palms, and sometimes the dryness made it tough to flip through his scripts. Banri would snort whenever he had to lick his thumb to turn a page, annoyingly smirking down at him when the sound would make Juza look up. 

He’d never really paid much attention to other people’s hands until the first time he’d held Banri’s. Banri had bothered him to go out to a cafe with him that day since Tsumugi had been unavailable. Juza hadn’t really wanted to go since Itaru had been helping him with a homework assignment, but Banri being Banri hadn’t stopped being insufferable until he’d agreed to tag along. 

It had been a nice cafe. Juza had never visited it before, and they served a great triple chocolate cake. It had been a little weird, actually. Banri got just a coffee and kept staring at him as he ate, making light conversation after confirming if the cake was good. It was rich, heavy in flavor, and moist, a heavenly combination and one of the best types of cake he'd had in ages. Not that he'd tell Banri that; his ego didn't need the stroking. He acknowledged it wasn't bad, but that was all he'd admit. That didn't stop Banri from smirking like he'd just won something though, which was annoying as hell.

After they'd both finished up and headed out to go back home, Juza was further annoyed by the way Banri was invading his personal space as they walked. The sidewalk was wide enough he didn't have to be pressed right up against his shoulder. He was far too close, and Juza refused to look toward him lest he see the flush creeping onto his cheeks. He could only play it off as anger so many times before Banri started questioning him about it and he'd come to terms with taking his unfortunate feelings for Banri to the grave with him. There was no way the guy would ever feel the same, and Juza couldn't risk messing up whatever their relationship was now for some fumbled confession. 

Or so he thought, but Banri's hand kept nudging his own as he went on about some game he and Itaru had been playing lately. Not that he had any idea what Banri was talking about, gaming terms about as foreign to him as the math problems he'd been working on before they left. 

At first he'd thought the nudging was an accident, but as time passed Banri was nearly slapping his hand with intentional force. Juza had had enough; each time they touched he thought his heart was going to jump out of his chest and he was tired of it. He snatched up Banri's hand with his own on Banri's next smack, squeezing it tightly in an effort to get him to stop.

And he did. They didn't stop walking but Banri definitely stumbled. Good. The asshole deserved it. 

And then Banri threaded their fingers together as if it was the most natural thing in the world. As if this was something they did every day. It was overwhelming, but Juza wasn't going to let Banri win whatever game he was playing here. 

Unlike his own, Banri's hand was surprisingly soft. Maybe he should have expected it, since Banri bothered to use lotion sometimes. When Juza tightened his grip Banri squeezed back, and he could hear the grin in Banri's voice. Juza still refused to look at him.

When they made it back to the dorms Banri dropped his hand before they made it inside, and took off without a word about what had just happened. Of fucking course he did. Did that mean he really had just been messing with him? Had he really taken him out just for that?

As Juza got back to his homework, it was difficult to focus. Not because of the difficulty, but because he could still feel the ghost of Banri's hand in his. The feel of their palms pressed loosely together. The phantom sensation of the way their fingers slotted together so nicely. The way Banri's thumb had gently traced over his knuckles.

By the time Juza crawled into bed later that evening, it still hadn't gone away. He laid down on his back, holding his palm in front of his eyes as if he could see what was different about it in the moonlight that filtered in through the window. Banri was asleep already, the asshole. He'd been out since before Juza returned to their room, so he still hadn't had the chance to talk to him about what had happened. 

Figures. Of course Juza was the only one being tormented by this. He wouldn't let Banri weasel his way out of a discussion tomorrow. He stared at his empty hand for a few moments longer before sighing, draping his arm over his eyes in frustration. He never should have given in like that. This was exactly what he'd been hoping to avoid. How would he be able to keep acting like he didn't want to hold Banri's hand again now?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes banri took him out on a date without once referring to it as such bc he sucks lol. banri was also still awake when juza came back that night but he Did Not Want to talk about it so he pretended to be asleep. juza forces them to talk about it in the morning and now they hold hands whenever they want


End file.
